Semiconductor device manufacturing: process – Making passive device
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-20
2001-09-11
Bowers, Charles (Department: 2813)
Semiconductor device manufacturing: process
Making passive device
C438S003000, C438S238000, C438S385000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06287932
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to inductors, and particularly to inductors used in integrated circuits.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The telecommunications and computer industries are driving the demand for miniaturized analog and mixed signal circuits. Inductors are a critical component in the traditional discrete element circuits, such as impedence matching circuits, resonant tank circuits, linear filters, and power circuits, used in these industries. Since traditional inductors are bulky components, successful integration of the traditional discrete element circuits requires the development of miniaturized inductors.
One approach to miniaturizing an inductor is to use standard integrated circuit building blocks, such as resistors, capacitors, and active circuitry, such as operational amplifiers, to design an active inductor that simulates the electrical properties of a discrete inductor. Active inductors can be designed to have a high inductance and a high Q factor, but inductors fabricated using these designs consume a great deal of power and generate noise.
A second approach to miniaturizing an inductor is to fabricate a solenoid type inductor with a core using conventional integrated circuit manufacturing process technology. Unfortunately, conventional integrated circuit process steps do not lend themselves to precisely and inexpensively fabricating a helical structure with a core. So, integrated circuit process technology is only marginally compatible with manufacturing a solenoid type inductor.
A third approach, sometimes used in the fabrication of miniature inductors in gallium arsenide circuits, is to fabricate a spiral type inductor using conventional integrated circuit processes. Unfortunately, this approach has a high cost factor associated with it when applied to fabricating inductors for use in silicon integrated circuits. Silicon integrated circuits operate at lower frequencies than gallium arsenide circuits, and generally require inductors having a higher inductance than inductors used in gallium arsenide circuits. The higher inductance is realized in a spiral inductor occupying a large surface area on the silicon substrate.
For these and other reasons there is a need for the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one embodiment of the invention, an inductor comprises layers of material deposited on a silicon substrate. First, a layer of magnetic material is deposited on the silicon substrate. Next, an insulating layer is deposited on the magnetic material layer. An inductor pattern is deposited on the insulating layer and above the magnetic material layer. Finally, a second insulating layer is deposited on the inductor pattern, and a second magnetic material layer is deposited on the second insulating layer. The second magnetic material layer is deposited above the inductor pattern.
In an alternate embodiment, the inductor described above is coupled to another electronic device in an integrated circuit.
In still another embodiment, a plurality of sandwich structures are vertically stacked on an insulating layer that is deposited on a layer of magnetic material. The layer of magnetic material is deposited on a silicon substrate. The sandwich structures include an inductor pattern, an insulating layer deposited on the inductor pattern, a layer of magnetic material deposited on the insulating layer and above the inductor pattern, and an insulating layer deposited on the magnetic material layer. The structures also include a conducting path through the structures, such that each inductor pattern is serially connected to the inductor pattern above by the conducting path. The current flowing in the serially connected inductor patterns creates a reinforcing magnetic field in the magnetic material between adjacent inductor patterns.
In still another embodiment, a method of fabricating an inductor comprises a series of steps. First, a silicon substrate is selected, a layer of magnetic material is deposited on the substrate, and an insulating layer is deposited on the magnetic material layer. Next, a plurality of sandwich structures are stacked on the insulating layer. The method of fabricating the structures comprises the steps of depositing an inductor pattern on the insulating layer and above the magnetic material layer, depositing an insulating layer on the inductor pattern, depositing a layer of magnetic material on the insulating layer and above the inductor pattern, and depositing an insulating layer on the magnetic material layer. Finally, a conducting path is fabricated through the structures to connect each inductor pattern serially to the inductor pattern above, such that a current flowing in the serially connected inductor patterns creates a reinforcing magnetic field in the magnetic material between adjacent inductor patterns.
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Ahn Kie Y.
Forbes Leonard
Bowers Charles
Huynh Yennhu B.
Micro)n Technology, Inc.
Schwegman Lundberg Woessner & Kluth P.A.
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